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Posted to marketing@openoffice.apache.org by Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org> on 2012/11/27 16:55:52 UTC

Help wanted from new marketing volunteers

I have a problem.  Like most of the existing OpenOffice volunteers I'm
"too close" to the project.  I see our website 100 times a week.  I
read every tweet, every Facebook post, every news article related to
OpenOffice.  I eat, drink and sleep OpenOffice.  My wife uses
OpenOffice.  My mother uses OpenOffice.  Because I am constantly close
to OpenOffice I have a distorted view.  I am unable to "see" the brand
like an average user does.  This lack of perspective causes me to be
hypercritical about some things, and perhaps causes me to be blind to
other things.  Since many project members are in this same situation,
there is the danger that "groupthink" and conventional thinking
dominates.

You, as new volunteers, are free from this bias, at least for now.
I'd like to take advantage of this interval, where you are interested
in volunteering, but not yet over-exposed to OpenOffice discussions,
to help us see the world better with fresh eyes.

Some ways in which you can help gain a fresher perspective:

1) What does our website look like to a new user?
http://www.openoffice.org.  One exercise is to go to the home page,
look at it for only 2 seconds (time it) and then close the window.
Then write down everything you remember about the website, what text
messages did you notice?  What logos?  What did your first glance tell
you?  What was your emotional response or qualitative assessment of
the site?


2) The website is both functional, helping the user get the
information they want.  But it should also reinforce our brand, our
message, our values.  Taking a closer look at the website, with your
fresh eyes, what is your impression?


3) Similar questions for viewing our social media accounts:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/apacheoo

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114598373874764163668/+openoffice/posts

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ApacheOO

What is your initial impression?  Unlike the website, social media
offers communications in two directions, a greater degree of
engagement with users.  Does it look like we're doing this well?  Do
you see any opportunities for improvement?


4) OpenOffice is it good or bad?  What do the reviews say?  Imagine
you are a user who is thinking about moving to OpenOffice.  You are
aware of it, and know that it is free.  But you are not yet persuaded
to act.  What resources do you consult to learn more about OpenOffice
and what do they tell you?


5) A recent survey of brand recognition showed that only 24% of U.S.
internet users recognized the brand "OpenOffice".  So there is a large
opportunity for increasing brand recognition.  Imagine yourself to be
a user in each of the following situations.  In each case you do not
even know the word "OpenOffice".  What do you do to find and compare
possible office suites?  And how easy or hard is it for you to find
that OpenOffice solves your problem?  If this involves a Google
search, what terms do you search for?

A) You are a university student.  You need a Microsoft-compatible word
processor for your course, but Microsoft Office, even with the student
discount is too expensive.

B) You are an IT Director for Public Library or Community Center with
a computers available for public use. You want to provide office suite
functionality to their patrons.  But you have limited budget, so
commercial software licenses come at the expense of other potential
user services.

C) You are a CIO of a medium to large corporation currently using
Microsoft Office 2003.  Microsoft has announced that Office 2003 will
be "end of life" with no support in April 2014.  Are there any
alternatives to paying Microsoft for a license upgrade?


Feel free to grab one or more of these items and respond back via
email.  It is fine to have more than one person do the same item.  We
can then compare and discuss.

Thanks!

-Rob

Re: Help wanted from new marketing volunteers

Posted by Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org>.
On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 11:54 AM, Scott Gillard <sc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I did the two second exercise for the three social media options and the
> website, and offer a few additional comments ont he website. I'll take a
> look at the remaining questions and share some more detailed views after
> some googling and research.
>

Sorry for the delay in responding.  I've been taking some end-of-year
vacation days.

>
>    1. Website
>       1. A lot of text - too much - need a cleaner layout that is more
>       graphical

That is the impression I have as well.  Too busy.  This matches an
engineer's view of "power", a machine with a thousand switches that
allows you to do everything ;-).   But users think of "power' as a
machine that does the right thing without the user needing to
understand a thousand switches.

>       2. The Marketing Volunteers Wanted link

Good.

>       3. "Learn more" seems to trump "Download" - "Download for free"
>       should be the most prominent section of the site as prominent as
> the logo.


Indeed downloading is the most common thing users do, based on our
stats from Google Analytics.  So if that is there most-frequent
action, perhaps we should optimize for it?

A good comparison website -- another popular open source desktop
application -- is the Firefox homepage:

http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/fx/#desktop

Look how clean it is, how simplified the list of options is, but
nothing is really missing.  You can still get to support, etc.


>       Then directly nested under that perhaps "Learn how this software is free"
>       4. The language used should be clear, accessible, and should conform
>       to people's expectations of a software website.  This reinforces the
>       quality of the product - making the sigficance of learning about
> values and
>       open source more interesting.

Yes.

>       5. Logo is lost
>    2. Google+ & Facebook
>    1. Logo jumps, looks good - should include text/the name?

Perhaps when we do the brand refresh and get new logos.  Currently we
have a horizontal banner version, that does include text.  And we have
the "globe with gulls" without text, that is in a square aspect ratio.
 The profile pix for these sites want something square.


>       2. Regular updates
>    3. Twitter
>       1. Lots of updates, though they seem to go out in clumps - appear
>       scheduled
>

The clumping probably occurs because only a few people are putting out
content, and they do it in batches.  If we had more people doing it,
over more time zones, it would reach more people.


>
>
> ------------------------------------
> *Scott Gillard*
> Mobile:  (902)402-2962
> Web:  www.novacaper.ca
> Twitter: @scoalegil
> Facebook: facebook.com/scoalegil
>
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 11:55 AM, Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org> wrote:
>
>> I have a problem.  Like most of the existing OpenOffice volunteers I'm
>> "too close" to the project.  I see our website 100 times a week.  I
>> read every tweet, every Facebook post, every news article related to
>> OpenOffice.  I eat, drink and sleep OpenOffice.  My wife uses
>> OpenOffice.  My mother uses OpenOffice.  Because I am constantly close
>> to OpenOffice I have a distorted view.  I am unable to "see" the brand
>> like an average user does.  This lack of perspective causes me to be
>> hypercritical about some things, and perhaps causes me to be blind to
>> other things.  Since many project members are in this same situation,
>> there is the danger that "groupthink" and conventional thinking
>> dominates.
>>
>> You, as new volunteers, are free from this bias, at least for now.
>> I'd like to take advantage of this interval, where you are interested
>> in volunteering, but not yet over-exposed to OpenOffice discussions,
>> to help us see the world better with fresh eyes.
>>
>> Some ways in which you can help gain a fresher perspective:
>>
>> 1) What does our website look like to a new user?
>> http://www.openoffice.org.  One exercise is to go to the home page,
>> look at it for only 2 seconds (time it) and then close the window.
>> Then write down everything you remember about the website, what text
>> messages did you notice?  What logos?  What did your first glance tell
>> you?  What was your emotional response or qualitative assessment of
>> the site?
>>
>>
>> 2) The website is both functional, helping the user get the
>> information they want.  But it should also reinforce our brand, our
>> message, our values.  Taking a closer look at the website, with your
>> fresh eyes, what is your impression?
>>
>>
>> 3) Similar questions for viewing our social media accounts:
>>
>> Twitter: https://twitter.com/apacheoo
>>
>> Google+:
>> https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114598373874764163668/+openoffice/posts
>>
>> Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ApacheOO
>>
>> What is your initial impression?  Unlike the website, social media
>> offers communications in two directions, a greater degree of
>> engagement with users.  Does it look like we're doing this well?  Do
>> you see any opportunities for improvement?
>>
>>
>> 4) OpenOffice is it good or bad?  What do the reviews say?  Imagine
>> you are a user who is thinking about moving to OpenOffice.  You are
>> aware of it, and know that it is free.  But you are not yet persuaded
>> to act.  What resources do you consult to learn more about OpenOffice
>> and what do they tell you?
>>
>>
>> 5) A recent survey of brand recognition showed that only 24% of U.S.
>> internet users recognized the brand "OpenOffice".  So there is a large
>> opportunity for increasing brand recognition.  Imagine yourself to be
>> a user in each of the following situations.  In each case you do not
>> even know the word "OpenOffice".  What do you do to find and compare
>> possible office suites?  And how easy or hard is it for you to find
>> that OpenOffice solves your problem?  If this involves a Google
>> search, what terms do you search for?
>>
>> A) You are a university student.  You need a Microsoft-compatible word
>> processor for your course, but Microsoft Office, even with the student
>> discount is too expensive.
>>
>> B) You are an IT Director for Public Library or Community Center with
>> a computers available for public use. You want to provide office suite
>> functionality to their patrons.  But you have limited budget, so
>> commercial software licenses come at the expense of other potential
>> user services.
>>
>> C) You are a CIO of a medium to large corporation currently using
>> Microsoft Office 2003.  Microsoft has announced that Office 2003 will
>> be "end of life" with no support in April 2014.  Are there any
>> alternatives to paying Microsoft for a license upgrade?
>>
>>
>> Feel free to grab one or more of these items and respond back via
>> email.  It is fine to have more than one person do the same item.  We
>> can then compare and discuss.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> -Rob
>>

Re: Help wanted from new marketing volunteers

Posted by Kadal Amutham <vk...@gmail.com>.
There is a lot of room for improvement in the home page. All of us might
have seen many web sites with lot of animations, moving images etc. First a
policy decision shall be made how the home page shall look. Simple and
effective or flashy and attractive. By the look of home page I feel, AOO
prefers simple and effective, which will load fast. But a little bit of
animation can be added. For example, looking for volunteers can be
animated.

Logo looks too simple and it won't be registered in any mind. The look
shall be improved / totally changed.

With Warm Regards

V.Kadal Amutham
919444360480


On 27 November 2012 22:24, Scott Gillard <sc...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I did the two second exercise for the three social media options and the
> website, and offer a few additional comments ont he website. I'll take a
> look at the remaining questions and share some more detailed views after
> some googling and research.
>
>
>    1. Website
>       1. A lot of text - too much - need a cleaner layout that is more
>       graphical
>       2. The Marketing Volunteers Wanted link
>       3. "Learn more" seems to trump "Download" - "Download for free"
>       should be the most prominent section of the site as prominent as
> the logo.
>       Then directly nested under that perhaps "Learn how this software is
> free"
>       4. The language used should be clear, accessible, and should conform
>       to people's expectations of a software website.  This reinforces the
>       quality of the product - making the sigficance of learning about
> values and
>       open source more interesting.
>       5. Logo is lost
>    2. Google+ & Facebook
>    1. Logo jumps, looks good - should include text/the name?
>       2. Regular updates
>    3. Twitter
>       1. Lots of updates, though they seem to go out in clumps - appear
>       scheduled
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
> *Scott Gillard*
> Mobile:  (902)402-2962
> Web:  www.novacaper.ca
> Twitter: @scoalegil
> Facebook: facebook.com/scoalegil
>
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 11:55 AM, Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org> wrote:
>
> > I have a problem.  Like most of the existing OpenOffice volunteers I'm
> > "too close" to the project.  I see our website 100 times a week.  I
> > read every tweet, every Facebook post, every news article related to
> > OpenOffice.  I eat, drink and sleep OpenOffice.  My wife uses
> > OpenOffice.  My mother uses OpenOffice.  Because I am constantly close
> > to OpenOffice I have a distorted view.  I am unable to "see" the brand
> > like an average user does.  This lack of perspective causes me to be
> > hypercritical about some things, and perhaps causes me to be blind to
> > other things.  Since many project members are in this same situation,
> > there is the danger that "groupthink" and conventional thinking
> > dominates.
> >
> > You, as new volunteers, are free from this bias, at least for now.
> > I'd like to take advantage of this interval, where you are interested
> > in volunteering, but not yet over-exposed to OpenOffice discussions,
> > to help us see the world better with fresh eyes.
> >
> > Some ways in which you can help gain a fresher perspective:
> >
> > 1) What does our website look like to a new user?
> > http://www.openoffice.org.  One exercise is to go to the home page,
> > look at it for only 2 seconds (time it) and then close the window.
> > Then write down everything you remember about the website, what text
> > messages did you notice?  What logos?  What did your first glance tell
> > you?  What was your emotional response or qualitative assessment of
> > the site?
> >
> >
> > 2) The website is both functional, helping the user get the
> > information they want.  But it should also reinforce our brand, our
> > message, our values.  Taking a closer look at the website, with your
> > fresh eyes, what is your impression?
> >
> >
> > 3) Similar questions for viewing our social media accounts:
> >
> > Twitter: https://twitter.com/apacheoo
> >
> > Google+:
> > https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114598373874764163668/+openoffice/posts
> >
> > Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ApacheOO
> >
> > What is your initial impression?  Unlike the website, social media
> > offers communications in two directions, a greater degree of
> > engagement with users.  Does it look like we're doing this well?  Do
> > you see any opportunities for improvement?
> >
> >
> > 4) OpenOffice is it good or bad?  What do the reviews say?  Imagine
> > you are a user who is thinking about moving to OpenOffice.  You are
> > aware of it, and know that it is free.  But you are not yet persuaded
> > to act.  What resources do you consult to learn more about OpenOffice
> > and what do they tell you?
> >
> >
> > 5) A recent survey of brand recognition showed that only 24% of U.S.
> > internet users recognized the brand "OpenOffice".  So there is a large
> > opportunity for increasing brand recognition.  Imagine yourself to be
> > a user in each of the following situations.  In each case you do not
> > even know the word "OpenOffice".  What do you do to find and compare
> > possible office suites?  And how easy or hard is it for you to find
> > that OpenOffice solves your problem?  If this involves a Google
> > search, what terms do you search for?
> >
> > A) You are a university student.  You need a Microsoft-compatible word
> > processor for your course, but Microsoft Office, even with the student
> > discount is too expensive.
> >
> > B) You are an IT Director for Public Library or Community Center with
> > a computers available for public use. You want to provide office suite
> > functionality to their patrons.  But you have limited budget, so
> > commercial software licenses come at the expense of other potential
> > user services.
> >
> > C) You are a CIO of a medium to large corporation currently using
> > Microsoft Office 2003.  Microsoft has announced that Office 2003 will
> > be "end of life" with no support in April 2014.  Are there any
> > alternatives to paying Microsoft for a license upgrade?
> >
> >
> > Feel free to grab one or more of these items and respond back via
> > email.  It is fine to have more than one person do the same item.  We
> > can then compare and discuss.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > -Rob
> >
>

Re: Help wanted from new marketing volunteers

Posted by Roberto Galoppini <rg...@geek.net>.
On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 4:11 PM, Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org> wrote:
> Good comments, everyone.  Keep them coming!
>
> In the spirit of brainstorming I'll hold back my own thoughts until
> the new volunteers have all had an opportunity to give their "first
> impressions".
>
> -Rob
>
> On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 11:54 AM, Scott Gillard <sc...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I did the two second exercise for the three social media options and the
>> website, and offer a few additional comments ont he website. I'll take a
>> look at the remaining questions and share some more detailed views after
>> some googling and research.
>>
>>
>>    1. Website
>>       1. A lot of text - too much - need a cleaner layout that is more
>>       graphical
>>       2. The Marketing Volunteers Wanted link
>>       3. "Learn more" seems to trump "Download" - "Download for free"
>>       should be the most prominent section of the site as prominent as
>> the logo.
>>       Then directly nested under that perhaps "Learn how this software is free"
>>       4. The language used should be clear, accessible, and should conform
>>       to people's expectations of a software website.  This reinforces the
>>       quality of the product - making the sigficance of learning about
>> values and
>>       open source more interesting.
>>       5. Logo is lost
>>    2. Google+ & Facebook
>>    1. Logo jumps, looks good - should include text/the name?
>>       2. Regular updates
>>    3. Twitter
>>       1. Lots of updates, though they seem to go out in clumps - appear
>>       scheduled
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>> *Scott Gillard*
>> Mobile:  (902)402-2962
>> Web:  www.novacaper.ca
>> Twitter: @scoalegil
>> Facebook: facebook.com/scoalegil
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 11:55 AM, Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org> wrote:
>>
>>> I have a problem.  Like most of the existing OpenOffice volunteers I'm
>>> "too close" to the project.  I see our website 100 times a week.  I
>>> read every tweet, every Facebook post, every news article related to
>>> OpenOffice.  I eat, drink and sleep OpenOffice.  My wife uses
>>> OpenOffice.  My mother uses OpenOffice.  Because I am constantly close
>>> to OpenOffice I have a distorted view.  I am unable to "see" the brand
>>> like an average user does.  This lack of perspective causes me to be
>>> hypercritical about some things, and perhaps causes me to be blind to
>>> other things.  Since many project members are in this same situation,
>>> there is the danger that "groupthink" and conventional thinking
>>> dominates.
>>>
>>> You, as new volunteers, are free from this bias, at least for now.
>>> I'd like to take advantage of this interval, where you are interested
>>> in volunteering, but not yet over-exposed to OpenOffice discussions,
>>> to help us see the world better with fresh eyes.
>>>
>>> Some ways in which you can help gain a fresher perspective:
>>>
>>> 1) What does our website look like to a new user?
>>> http://www.openoffice.org.  One exercise is to go to the home page,
>>> look at it for only 2 seconds (time it) and then close the window.
>>> Then write down everything you remember about the website, what text
>>> messages did you notice?  What logos?  What did your first glance tell
>>> you?  What was your emotional response or qualitative assessment of
>>> the site?

I think Mozilla.org website is leading the way, looking at both I can think of:

- having a download button in a prominent position;
- having a carousel with the most relevant info (e.g. AOO, Extensions,
Templates)
- having 2/3 columns at the bottom, one for participation, one for
getting help, one about news

Roberto

>>>
>>>
>>> 2) The website is both functional, helping the user get the
>>> information they want.  But it should also reinforce our brand, our
>>> message, our values.  Taking a closer look at the website, with your
>>> fresh eyes, what is your impression?
>>>
>>>
>>> 3) Similar questions for viewing our social media accounts:
>>>
>>> Twitter: https://twitter.com/apacheoo
>>>
>>> Google+:
>>> https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114598373874764163668/+openoffice/posts
>>>
>>> Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ApacheOO
>>>
>>> What is your initial impression?  Unlike the website, social media
>>> offers communications in two directions, a greater degree of
>>> engagement with users.  Does it look like we're doing this well?  Do
>>> you see any opportunities for improvement?
>>>
>>>
>>> 4) OpenOffice is it good or bad?  What do the reviews say?  Imagine
>>> you are a user who is thinking about moving to OpenOffice.  You are
>>> aware of it, and know that it is free.  But you are not yet persuaded
>>> to act.  What resources do you consult to learn more about OpenOffice
>>> and what do they tell you?
>>>
>>>
>>> 5) A recent survey of brand recognition showed that only 24% of U.S.
>>> internet users recognized the brand "OpenOffice".  So there is a large
>>> opportunity for increasing brand recognition.  Imagine yourself to be
>>> a user in each of the following situations.  In each case you do not
>>> even know the word "OpenOffice".  What do you do to find and compare
>>> possible office suites?  And how easy or hard is it for you to find
>>> that OpenOffice solves your problem?  If this involves a Google
>>> search, what terms do you search for?
>>>
>>> A) You are a university student.  You need a Microsoft-compatible word
>>> processor for your course, but Microsoft Office, even with the student
>>> discount is too expensive.
>>>
>>> B) You are an IT Director for Public Library or Community Center with
>>> a computers available for public use. You want to provide office suite
>>> functionality to their patrons.  But you have limited budget, so
>>> commercial software licenses come at the expense of other potential
>>> user services.
>>>
>>> C) You are a CIO of a medium to large corporation currently using
>>> Microsoft Office 2003.  Microsoft has announced that Office 2003 will
>>> be "end of life" with no support in April 2014.  Are there any
>>> alternatives to paying Microsoft for a license upgrade?
>>>
>>>
>>> Feel free to grab one or more of these items and respond back via
>>> email.  It is fine to have more than one person do the same item.  We
>>> can then compare and discuss.
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> -Rob
>>>

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Re: Help wanted from new marketing volunteers

Posted by Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org>.
Good comments, everyone.  Keep them coming!

In the spirit of brainstorming I'll hold back my own thoughts until
the new volunteers have all had an opportunity to give their "first
impressions".

-Rob

On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 11:54 AM, Scott Gillard <sc...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I did the two second exercise for the three social media options and the
> website, and offer a few additional comments ont he website. I'll take a
> look at the remaining questions and share some more detailed views after
> some googling and research.
>
>
>    1. Website
>       1. A lot of text - too much - need a cleaner layout that is more
>       graphical
>       2. The Marketing Volunteers Wanted link
>       3. "Learn more" seems to trump "Download" - "Download for free"
>       should be the most prominent section of the site as prominent as
> the logo.
>       Then directly nested under that perhaps "Learn how this software is free"
>       4. The language used should be clear, accessible, and should conform
>       to people's expectations of a software website.  This reinforces the
>       quality of the product - making the sigficance of learning about
> values and
>       open source more interesting.
>       5. Logo is lost
>    2. Google+ & Facebook
>    1. Logo jumps, looks good - should include text/the name?
>       2. Regular updates
>    3. Twitter
>       1. Lots of updates, though they seem to go out in clumps - appear
>       scheduled
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
> *Scott Gillard*
> Mobile:  (902)402-2962
> Web:  www.novacaper.ca
> Twitter: @scoalegil
> Facebook: facebook.com/scoalegil
>
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 11:55 AM, Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org> wrote:
>
>> I have a problem.  Like most of the existing OpenOffice volunteers I'm
>> "too close" to the project.  I see our website 100 times a week.  I
>> read every tweet, every Facebook post, every news article related to
>> OpenOffice.  I eat, drink and sleep OpenOffice.  My wife uses
>> OpenOffice.  My mother uses OpenOffice.  Because I am constantly close
>> to OpenOffice I have a distorted view.  I am unable to "see" the brand
>> like an average user does.  This lack of perspective causes me to be
>> hypercritical about some things, and perhaps causes me to be blind to
>> other things.  Since many project members are in this same situation,
>> there is the danger that "groupthink" and conventional thinking
>> dominates.
>>
>> You, as new volunteers, are free from this bias, at least for now.
>> I'd like to take advantage of this interval, where you are interested
>> in volunteering, but not yet over-exposed to OpenOffice discussions,
>> to help us see the world better with fresh eyes.
>>
>> Some ways in which you can help gain a fresher perspective:
>>
>> 1) What does our website look like to a new user?
>> http://www.openoffice.org.  One exercise is to go to the home page,
>> look at it for only 2 seconds (time it) and then close the window.
>> Then write down everything you remember about the website, what text
>> messages did you notice?  What logos?  What did your first glance tell
>> you?  What was your emotional response or qualitative assessment of
>> the site?
>>
>>
>> 2) The website is both functional, helping the user get the
>> information they want.  But it should also reinforce our brand, our
>> message, our values.  Taking a closer look at the website, with your
>> fresh eyes, what is your impression?
>>
>>
>> 3) Similar questions for viewing our social media accounts:
>>
>> Twitter: https://twitter.com/apacheoo
>>
>> Google+:
>> https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114598373874764163668/+openoffice/posts
>>
>> Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ApacheOO
>>
>> What is your initial impression?  Unlike the website, social media
>> offers communications in two directions, a greater degree of
>> engagement with users.  Does it look like we're doing this well?  Do
>> you see any opportunities for improvement?
>>
>>
>> 4) OpenOffice is it good or bad?  What do the reviews say?  Imagine
>> you are a user who is thinking about moving to OpenOffice.  You are
>> aware of it, and know that it is free.  But you are not yet persuaded
>> to act.  What resources do you consult to learn more about OpenOffice
>> and what do they tell you?
>>
>>
>> 5) A recent survey of brand recognition showed that only 24% of U.S.
>> internet users recognized the brand "OpenOffice".  So there is a large
>> opportunity for increasing brand recognition.  Imagine yourself to be
>> a user in each of the following situations.  In each case you do not
>> even know the word "OpenOffice".  What do you do to find and compare
>> possible office suites?  And how easy or hard is it for you to find
>> that OpenOffice solves your problem?  If this involves a Google
>> search, what terms do you search for?
>>
>> A) You are a university student.  You need a Microsoft-compatible word
>> processor for your course, but Microsoft Office, even with the student
>> discount is too expensive.
>>
>> B) You are an IT Director for Public Library or Community Center with
>> a computers available for public use. You want to provide office suite
>> functionality to their patrons.  But you have limited budget, so
>> commercial software licenses come at the expense of other potential
>> user services.
>>
>> C) You are a CIO of a medium to large corporation currently using
>> Microsoft Office 2003.  Microsoft has announced that Office 2003 will
>> be "end of life" with no support in April 2014.  Are there any
>> alternatives to paying Microsoft for a license upgrade?
>>
>>
>> Feel free to grab one or more of these items and respond back via
>> email.  It is fine to have more than one person do the same item.  We
>> can then compare and discuss.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> -Rob
>>

Re: Help wanted from new marketing volunteers

Posted by Scott Gillard <sc...@gmail.com>.
I did the two second exercise for the three social media options and the
website, and offer a few additional comments ont he website. I'll take a
look at the remaining questions and share some more detailed views after
some googling and research.


   1. Website
      1. A lot of text - too much - need a cleaner layout that is more
      graphical
      2. The Marketing Volunteers Wanted link
      3. "Learn more" seems to trump "Download" - "Download for free"
      should be the most prominent section of the site as prominent as
the logo.
      Then directly nested under that perhaps "Learn how this software is free"
      4. The language used should be clear, accessible, and should conform
      to people's expectations of a software website.  This reinforces the
      quality of the product - making the sigficance of learning about
values and
      open source more interesting.
      5. Logo is lost
   2. Google+ & Facebook
   1. Logo jumps, looks good - should include text/the name?
      2. Regular updates
   3. Twitter
      1. Lots of updates, though they seem to go out in clumps - appear
      scheduled



------------------------------------
*Scott Gillard*
Mobile:  (902)402-2962
Web:  www.novacaper.ca
Twitter: @scoalegil
Facebook: facebook.com/scoalegil



On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 11:55 AM, Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org> wrote:

> I have a problem.  Like most of the existing OpenOffice volunteers I'm
> "too close" to the project.  I see our website 100 times a week.  I
> read every tweet, every Facebook post, every news article related to
> OpenOffice.  I eat, drink and sleep OpenOffice.  My wife uses
> OpenOffice.  My mother uses OpenOffice.  Because I am constantly close
> to OpenOffice I have a distorted view.  I am unable to "see" the brand
> like an average user does.  This lack of perspective causes me to be
> hypercritical about some things, and perhaps causes me to be blind to
> other things.  Since many project members are in this same situation,
> there is the danger that "groupthink" and conventional thinking
> dominates.
>
> You, as new volunteers, are free from this bias, at least for now.
> I'd like to take advantage of this interval, where you are interested
> in volunteering, but not yet over-exposed to OpenOffice discussions,
> to help us see the world better with fresh eyes.
>
> Some ways in which you can help gain a fresher perspective:
>
> 1) What does our website look like to a new user?
> http://www.openoffice.org.  One exercise is to go to the home page,
> look at it for only 2 seconds (time it) and then close the window.
> Then write down everything you remember about the website, what text
> messages did you notice?  What logos?  What did your first glance tell
> you?  What was your emotional response or qualitative assessment of
> the site?
>
>
> 2) The website is both functional, helping the user get the
> information they want.  But it should also reinforce our brand, our
> message, our values.  Taking a closer look at the website, with your
> fresh eyes, what is your impression?
>
>
> 3) Similar questions for viewing our social media accounts:
>
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/apacheoo
>
> Google+:
> https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114598373874764163668/+openoffice/posts
>
> Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ApacheOO
>
> What is your initial impression?  Unlike the website, social media
> offers communications in two directions, a greater degree of
> engagement with users.  Does it look like we're doing this well?  Do
> you see any opportunities for improvement?
>
>
> 4) OpenOffice is it good or bad?  What do the reviews say?  Imagine
> you are a user who is thinking about moving to OpenOffice.  You are
> aware of it, and know that it is free.  But you are not yet persuaded
> to act.  What resources do you consult to learn more about OpenOffice
> and what do they tell you?
>
>
> 5) A recent survey of brand recognition showed that only 24% of U.S.
> internet users recognized the brand "OpenOffice".  So there is a large
> opportunity for increasing brand recognition.  Imagine yourself to be
> a user in each of the following situations.  In each case you do not
> even know the word "OpenOffice".  What do you do to find and compare
> possible office suites?  And how easy or hard is it for you to find
> that OpenOffice solves your problem?  If this involves a Google
> search, what terms do you search for?
>
> A) You are a university student.  You need a Microsoft-compatible word
> processor for your course, but Microsoft Office, even with the student
> discount is too expensive.
>
> B) You are an IT Director for Public Library or Community Center with
> a computers available for public use. You want to provide office suite
> functionality to their patrons.  But you have limited budget, so
> commercial software licenses come at the expense of other potential
> user services.
>
> C) You are a CIO of a medium to large corporation currently using
> Microsoft Office 2003.  Microsoft has announced that Office 2003 will
> be "end of life" with no support in April 2014.  Are there any
> alternatives to paying Microsoft for a license upgrade?
>
>
> Feel free to grab one or more of these items and respond back via
> email.  It is fine to have more than one person do the same item.  We
> can then compare and discuss.
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Rob
>

Re: Help wanted from new marketing volunteers

Posted by Jose Ureña <no...@gmail.com>.
Hard to read!

Colors dont help much

=========================




2012/11/27 Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org>

> I have a problem.  Like most of the existing OpenOffice volunteers I'm
> "too close" to the project.  I see our website 100 times a week.  I
> read every tweet, every Facebook post, every news article related to
> OpenOffice.  I eat, drink and sleep OpenOffice.  My wife uses
> OpenOffice.  My mother uses OpenOffice.  Because I am constantly close
> to OpenOffice I have a distorted view.  I am unable to "see" the brand
> like an average user does.  This lack of perspective causes me to be
> hypercritical about some things, and perhaps causes me to be blind to
> other things.  Since many project members are in this same situation,
> there is the danger that "groupthink" and conventional thinking
> dominates.
>
> You, as new volunteers, are free from this bias, at least for now.
> I'd like to take advantage of this interval, where you are interested
> in volunteering, but not yet over-exposed to OpenOffice discussions,
> to help us see the world better with fresh eyes.
>
> Some ways in which you can help gain a fresher perspective:
>
> 1) What does our website look like to a new user?
> http://www.openoffice.org.  One exercise is to go to the home page,
> look at it for only 2 seconds (time it) and then close the window.
> Then write down everything you remember about the website, what text
> messages did you notice?  What logos?  What did your first glance tell
> you?  What was your emotional response or qualitative assessment of
> the site?
>
>
> 2) The website is both functional, helping the user get the
> information they want.  But it should also reinforce our brand, our
> message, our values.  Taking a closer look at the website, with your
> fresh eyes, what is your impression?
>
>
> 3) Similar questions for viewing our social media accounts:
>
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/apacheoo
>
> Google+:
> https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114598373874764163668/+openoffice/posts
>
> Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ApacheOO
>
> What is your initial impression?  Unlike the website, social media
> offers communications in two directions, a greater degree of
> engagement with users.  Does it look like we're doing this well?  Do
> you see any opportunities for improvement?
>
>
> 4) OpenOffice is it good or bad?  What do the reviews say?  Imagine
> you are a user who is thinking about moving to OpenOffice.  You are
> aware of it, and know that it is free.  But you are not yet persuaded
> to act.  What resources do you consult to learn more about OpenOffice
> and what do they tell you?
>
>
> 5) A recent survey of brand recognition showed that only 24% of U.S.
> internet users recognized the brand "OpenOffice".  So there is a large
> opportunity for increasing brand recognition.  Imagine yourself to be
> a user in each of the following situations.  In each case you do not
> even know the word "OpenOffice".  What do you do to find and compare
> possible office suites?  And how easy or hard is it for you to find
> that OpenOffice solves your problem?  If this involves a Google
> search, what terms do you search for?
>
> A) You are a university student.  You need a Microsoft-compatible word
> processor for your course, but Microsoft Office, even with the student
> discount is too expensive.
>
> B) You are an IT Director for Public Library or Community Center with
> a computers available for public use. You want to provide office suite
> functionality to their patrons.  But you have limited budget, so
> commercial software licenses come at the expense of other potential
> user services.
>
> C) You are a CIO of a medium to large corporation currently using
> Microsoft Office 2003.  Microsoft has announced that Office 2003 will
> be "end of life" with no support in April 2014.  Are there any
> alternatives to paying Microsoft for a license upgrade?
>
>
> Feel free to grab one or more of these items and respond back via
> email.  It is fine to have more than one person do the same item.  We
> can then compare and discuss.
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Rob
>



-- 
*Jose Ureña*
___________
*
<http://www.nortronica.net/>
*
__________________________________________________
**

Re: Help wanted from new marketing volunteers

Posted by Kadal Amutham <vk...@gmail.com>.
A good way to start for the volunteers. My eyes are tired now. I will have
a look, early in the morning

With Warm Regards

V.Kadal Amutham
919444360480


On 27 November 2012 21:25, Rob Weir <ro...@apache.org> wrote:

> I have a problem.  Like most of the existing OpenOffice volunteers I'm
> "too close" to the project.  I see our website 100 times a week.  I
> read every tweet, every Facebook post, every news article related to
> OpenOffice.  I eat, drink and sleep OpenOffice.  My wife uses
> OpenOffice.  My mother uses OpenOffice.  Because I am constantly close
> to OpenOffice I have a distorted view.  I am unable to "see" the brand
> like an average user does.  This lack of perspective causes me to be
> hypercritical about some things, and perhaps causes me to be blind to
> other things.  Since many project members are in this same situation,
> there is the danger that "groupthink" and conventional thinking
> dominates.
>
> You, as new volunteers, are free from this bias, at least for now.
> I'd like to take advantage of this interval, where you are interested
> in volunteering, but not yet over-exposed to OpenOffice discussions,
> to help us see the world better with fresh eyes.
>
> Some ways in which you can help gain a fresher perspective:
>
> 1) What does our website look like to a new user?
> http://www.openoffice.org.  One exercise is to go to the home page,
> look at it for only 2 seconds (time it) and then close the window.
> Then write down everything you remember about the website, what text
> messages did you notice?  What logos?  What did your first glance tell
> you?  What was your emotional response or qualitative assessment of
> the site?
>
>
> 2) The website is both functional, helping the user get the
> information they want.  But it should also reinforce our brand, our
> message, our values.  Taking a closer look at the website, with your
> fresh eyes, what is your impression?
>
>
> 3) Similar questions for viewing our social media accounts:
>
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/apacheoo
>
> Google+:
> https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/114598373874764163668/+openoffice/posts
>
> Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ApacheOO
>
> What is your initial impression?  Unlike the website, social media
> offers communications in two directions, a greater degree of
> engagement with users.  Does it look like we're doing this well?  Do
> you see any opportunities for improvement?
>
>
> 4) OpenOffice is it good or bad?  What do the reviews say?  Imagine
> you are a user who is thinking about moving to OpenOffice.  You are
> aware of it, and know that it is free.  But you are not yet persuaded
> to act.  What resources do you consult to learn more about OpenOffice
> and what do they tell you?
>
>
> 5) A recent survey of brand recognition showed that only 24% of U.S.
> internet users recognized the brand "OpenOffice".  So there is a large
> opportunity for increasing brand recognition.  Imagine yourself to be
> a user in each of the following situations.  In each case you do not
> even know the word "OpenOffice".  What do you do to find and compare
> possible office suites?  And how easy or hard is it for you to find
> that OpenOffice solves your problem?  If this involves a Google
> search, what terms do you search for?
>
> A) You are a university student.  You need a Microsoft-compatible word
> processor for your course, but Microsoft Office, even with the student
> discount is too expensive.
>
> B) You are an IT Director for Public Library or Community Center with
> a computers available for public use. You want to provide office suite
> functionality to their patrons.  But you have limited budget, so
> commercial software licenses come at the expense of other potential
> user services.
>
> C) You are a CIO of a medium to large corporation currently using
> Microsoft Office 2003.  Microsoft has announced that Office 2003 will
> be "end of life" with no support in April 2014.  Are there any
> alternatives to paying Microsoft for a license upgrade?
>
>
> Feel free to grab one or more of these items and respond back via
> email.  It is fine to have more than one person do the same item.  We
> can then compare and discuss.
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Rob
>